2008 Festival

3rd annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic

July 4-5, 2008

Last June’s two day North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic was a resounding success, drawing over 2,000 people to a rural site in Potts Camp in Marshall County, MS. The festival demonstrated the vitality of the contemporary blues scene in North Mississippi, with attendees from 31 states and seven different countries. Potts Camp is located off of Route 78, about halfway between Memphis and Tupelo.

The festival celebrates the legacies of departed North Mississippi blues legends including Joe Callicott, Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and Othar Turner, and the festival will once again feature many of their children and grandchildren. These include Duwayne Burnside; the Burnside Exploration, featuring Garry Burnside; Cedric Burnside with Lightin Malcolm; David Kimbrough; the Rising Star Fife and Drum Band, led by Othar Turner’s 17-year-old granddaughter Sharde Thomas; Kent Burnside and the New Generation.

There are several new additions this year, first ON LINE TICKETS SALES – CHECK IT OUT (www.nmshillcountrypicnic.com). Another new addition to the festival for 2008 will be a one-day workshop on July 3rd providing visitors a chance to interact with Hill Country musicians. All levels of expertise will benefit from one on one workshop instruction and feel welcome. Several breakout sessions will cater to more and less advanced students. The instructors for the workshop will be: Kenny Brown, Cedric Burnside, DuWayne Burnside, Garry Burnside, Wendy Garrison, Dave Kimbrough, and Kinney Kimbrough. In conjunction with the Picnic will be the unveiling ceremony for the Marshall County Historic Blues Trail Marker honoring R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough to be held on the Holly Springs Square, July 3rd. Donations to Marshall County Historic Blues Trail Marker can be made at http://www.myspace.com/hollyspringsbluestrail.

The Picnic is run by the non –profit organization North MS Hill Country Picnic, Inc., and enjoys great support and sponsorship from North Mississippi communities. Camping will be allowed Thursday – Saturday nights, coolers are permitted (NO GLASS: ICE CHEST WILL BE CHECKED FOR GLASS), and vendors will sell local delicacies including barbeque and fried catfish. Sponsors to-date include Flick’s Country Restaurant, R & B Feder Charitable Foundation, Paragon Casino, Freeland & Freeland, One Day Signs, Holly Springs Tourism, Oxford Tourism, ComCast Media, MS Arts Commission, Honest Tunes, and Living Blues.